Ex-Israeli troop: I’d gladly kill Arabs

Former Israeli soldier, who caused an international uproar by posting Facebook images of herself posing with Palestinian detainees, says she would “gladly kill Arabs, even slaughter them.”

Writing on the social network Facebook, Eden Abergil defended publishing the controversial photos, saying, “In war there are no rules,” Haaretz qouted her as saying on Thursday.

In response to one of the messages on the social networking site that read, “Because of such a simple and innocent picture they ruined this girl’s life and made of her something she is not,” Abergil wrote, “No honey, they didn’t ruin my life. I can’t afford to have Arab-lovers ruin the perfect life I’m leading!!! I am not sorry and I do not regretttttt it,” Ma’an news agency reported.

The ex-soldier became the focus of international outrage when photos depicting her smiling in front of blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinians, in an album titled “IDF – Best years of my life” were published on a blog, and later in international media.

During an interview Tuesday with Army Radio, Abergil said “I still don’t understand what was wrong.”

The head of the Public Committee Against Torture, Ishai Menuchin, on Monday commented on the photos, saying that “these terrible photographs reflect a norm in the way Palestinians are viewed, as an object and not as humans. It is an attitude that ignores their feelings as humans and their individual rights.”

Around 7,000 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently held in Israeli detention facilities, reportedly suffering under harsh and life-threatening conditions.